This week, I wanted to share a finished project that has been months in the making.
As I shared previously, we rescued a puppy back in the fall of 2022, and he loves to be outside.
When we’re at home, we have a long leash tethered to a tree so he can sniff all over the yard. I know some dogs don’t enjoy being leashed in the yard, but he honestly has a great time.
My husband, JM, was itching for a project over the winter, though, and decided to build an outdoor kennel for Bolt.
We have a fair amount of wildlife – including black bears and coyotes – that trek through our yard, so JM thought a kennel would keep him safe if potential predators roamed through.
As with so many projects, the search for inspiration online resulted in grand ambitions, and we (mostly JM) embarked on a massive building project.
What started as a simple fenced in area for Bolt turned into a dog paradise. A luxury dogBnB. Or as we affectionately call it, the Dog Mahal.
We’ve put in so many hours and weekends and trips to the hardware store. Well, JM more so than me.
We’ve recruited friends and neighbors and all the kids to help. My youngest son, in particular, loved helping with the construction!
We still have minor touches to add. A light on the front “porch.” Some paint touch-ups.
But the Dog Mahal is functional and Bolt doesn’t hate it.
It’s no substitute for a run, hike, or other quality doggie exercise, but we do plenty of that too! This gives him a safe place to hang outside, and it’s much preferable to the crate inside if we have guests or can’t have a dog underfoot for one reason or another.
I’m pretty proud of JM. He doesn’t consider himself a very handy person, but he built this entire thing himself!